South Americans face upheaval or death over water supply

People streamed into the central square in Celendin, a small city in the Peruvian Andes, the morning of July 3, 2012. They were protesting the government’s support for Newmont Mining’s plan to take control of four lakes to make way for a new gold and copper mine. By midday, there were 3 000. Some hurled rocks at police and brandished clubs. Then assailants shot two officers and an army soldier in the leg.

Blocks away, construction worker Paulino Garcia left home on foot to buy groceries. As he approached the central square, he encountered chaos. People ran for cover as federal troops fired their weapons. One bullet struck Garcia as he watched the mayhem. It ripped open his chest and exited through his back. The 43-year-old father of two fell to the ground and died.

Another three people were shot and killed, and more than 20 were wounded. It was the deadliest clash in 18 months of protests in Peru’s Cajamarca region, where many residents say Newmont’s $5 billion (R44bn) Conga mine will take water their villages and farms need to survive.

Adelaida Tabaco, Garcia’s widow, 38, said: “The only thing the people want is water for families, but the mining companies want to take it. And soldiers will kill if you get in the way.“

2. yes the water wars will be much worse than the oil wars

3. Sad history of US mining companies

Thank you for this post. I have followed the predatory practices of Newmont Mining for 30 years; it is headquartered in Denver and so many great people and grass-roots leaders in South America, the US, and around the world have fought this evil corporation at every level they could. Nothing has changed, in fact the lives of the miners and indigenous peoples living near Newmont mines have worsened. Newmont has bought and paid for its favors from Colorado to the high courts of Peru and other underdeveloped nations. And they are allowed to use their billions in profits to spew lies about their environmental, social, and business practices in propaganda around the world. We can never expect these corporations (or their shareholders) to become socially ethical, especially since Citizens United. As with the sad and cruel international ivory trade, the only way we will make any difference is for the developed countries and all of us to finally decide that we can live without ivory and gold but we cannot live on a polluted planet without water.